Sunday, September 10, AD 2023 | Ezekiel 33:7-9 | The Rev. Andrew F. Weisner, Ph.D. |<\/p>\n
From: The Rev. Andrew F. Weisner, Ph.D.
\nThe North American Lutheran Church (NALC)
\nAntioch Lutheran Church, Dallas, North Carolina<\/p>\n
Ezekiel 33:7-9
\n7 So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. 8 If I say to the wicked, \u2018O wicked ones, you shall surely die\u2019, and you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but their blood I will require at your hand. 9 But if you warn the wicked to turn from their ways, and they do not turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity, but you will have saved your life.<\/p>\n
Psalm 32:1-7<\/p>\n
Romans 13:1-10 Matthew 18:1-20 Homily<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The issue coming at us today, from the Gospel reading \u00a0and especially from the OT reading, is addressing \u2013 and perhaps, hopefully, correcting \u2013 sin \u2026 which is not an easy topic. For how many of us enjoy having pointed out to us that, what has become, perhaps, a way of life for us, or something we really want to do, is sin<\/em>?<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How many of us like <\/em>having pointed out to us that what we\u2019re doing, or what we really want<\/em> to do, is wrong<\/em>?<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 From today\u2019s Old Testament reading: The word of the Lord comes to Ezekiel: \u201cI have made you a sentinel for the house of Israel \u2026 to give them warning<\/em> from me. If you do not speak to warn the wicked to turn from their ways, the wicked shall die in their iniquity.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So! \u2026 How well do you think it would go over to try to tell an alcoholic parent \u2013 even though it is the truth:\u00a0 \u201cYou\u2019re scaring the life out of your children by your alcoholic anger and rampages\u201d? How easily, how happily, do we think that he would receive that message?<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Or to a self-medicating, drug-using mother, how well would it go over to say \u2013 even if it is the truth \u2013 \u201cYou are ruining, maybe even abusing, your children by the way you\u2019re self-centeredly living your life and neglecting them. And that\u2019s not to mention what such a life is doing to you<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Or, to a husband and father, leaving his family to be with a mistress: \u201cYou are likely causing, whether you realize it or not, unimagined, immeasurable harm to your children for whom you have a God-given responsibility, by abandoning them and their mother and traipsing off with another woman.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In these instances, just to cite a few, how well would such admonitions, \u201ccalls to repentance,\u201d go over?<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Based on my pastoral experience, and based on our collective knowledge and experience of human nature, we know, rather well, that such warnings, admonitions, corrections, i.e., calls to repentance, usually don\u2019t get the desired result.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And, thank heavens — even though the Ezekiel text could, possibly, provide justification for all kinds of finger-pointing, accusing, and denouncements of other people — we don\u2019t do it. Accusations and finger-pointing are dangerous to those who do it: Once there was an occasion when a group of scribes and Pharisees tried to challenge Jesus, accusing and denouncing a woman who had been caught in adultery. Accurately citing the Law, they asked whether she should receive the proper legal consequences, stoning. To which he replied (as we all know the story), \u201cLet the one without sin casts the first stone.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Now \u2026 Did Jesus dismiss<\/em> the Law itself? No. \u00a0Did he dismiss holding up, remembering, and the keeping of the Law? No. Did he fault<\/em> or condemn for their act of remembering and holding to the Law those individuals (the scribes and Pharisees) who had remembered and held to the Law? No.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What he did<\/em> do was to establish a perspective, a foundation (a basis) from which to look at the Law \u2013 and sin<\/em> \u2013 and bring sin (and the way we live) to people\u2019s attention, and a way actually to encounter people with accountability. St. Paul cites it, and comments upon it, in today\u2019s second reading, from the letter to the Romans.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cThe Commandments \u2026 are summed up,\u201d writes St. Paul, in this: \u201cLove your neighbor as yourself.\u201d \u201cLove is the fulfilling of the Law.\u201d That means: when we truly love our neighbor \u2013 and our spouse, and our children \u2013 which includes \u201chonoring our commitments to them,\u201d then we will have fulfilled the Law. Also, this foundation from which to look at all things, Love, means that, when we set out to admonish someone else, the way (the method) given to us for doing it, is that we exemplify love in our lives<\/em> in such a way, and so thoroughly, that our lives<\/em> show others how to live<\/em>. Now THAT is a tall order! And it is much \u2013 so much — harder than pointing the finger and hurling accusations!<\/p>\n So how, from where, do we possibly get the ability, the strength, to „live Love\u201d in such a way that our lives become an example and mirror to others \u00a0to show them their own sin, and then, show them how to live? Again, from today\u2019s reading, we have the answer from St. Paul:<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cPut on,\u201d he writes, \u201cthe Lord Jesus Christ;\u201d \u201cput on<\/em> Jesus Christ\u2026\u201d and that<\/em>, we have done, brothers and sisters \u2013 or: it\u2019s been done for us \u2013 when we were baptized. <\/em><\/p>\n Metaphorically, the baptismal water running upon us was a \u201cputting on\u201d of Christ. Sometimes, in our baptismal liturgies, dating back to the earliest days of the Church, \u201cputting on\u201d Christ is symbolized by placing upon the newly baptized a white garment.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yet we actually \u201cput on the Lord Jesus Christ,\u201d we receive Christ in our baptism, thus receiving his Spirit, his strength, his power<\/em> within us, giving us the foundation actually to live<\/em> \u201cLove.\u201d In baptism, we are \u201cshaped\u201d (conformed) to the image of Christ.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yet, surrounded by the sin, death, sadness, waywardness, and self-will of the world around us, how are we to remain strong \u201cin Christ,\u201d such that the strengthening baptismal water of Christ does not dry up<\/em> and go away?<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ah!… Christ provides for our refreshment! He knows<\/em> that we are surrounded, hounded, and wearied by sin, within us and around us, distracting us from living up to our commitments, and living our lives in such a way to be a loving example to others.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And so, he continually offers us the refreshment of Love. There would be, there is, no better way to be strengthened for Love than to have Love dwell within us \u2026 if we could, perhaps, even eat <\/em>it \u2013 and thus have dwelling within ourselves Love.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And this is what we have, when we eat and drink the presence, the Body and Blood of Christ. Love then dwells within us, so that we<\/em> can be, with our<\/em> lives, an example of Love to the world.<\/p>\n \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Amen Come, Lord Jesus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sunday, September 10, AD 2023 | Ezekiel 33:7-9 | The Rev. Andrew F. Weisner, Ph.D. | From: The Rev. Andrew F. Weisner, Ph.D. The North American Lutheran Church (NALC) Antioch Lutheran Church, Dallas, North Carolina Ezekiel 33:7-9 7 So you, mortal, I have made a sentinel for the house of Israel; whenever you hear a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17336,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,2,1335,157,853,108,110,520,109],"tags":[],"beitragende":[],"predigtform":[],"predigtreihe":[],"bibelstelle":[],"class_list":["post-18788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ezechiel","category-at","category-andreas-vonach","category-beitragende","category-bibel","category-current","category-engl","category-kapitel-33-chapter-33","category-predigten"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18788","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18788"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18788\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18789,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18788\/revisions\/18789"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17336"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18788"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18788"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18788"},{"taxonomy":"beitragende","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/beitragende?post=18788"},{"taxonomy":"predigtform","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/predigtform?post=18788"},{"taxonomy":"predigtreihe","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/predigtreihe?post=18788"},{"taxonomy":"bibelstelle","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.theologie.uzh.ch\/apps\/gpi\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/bibelstelle?post=18788"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nLet every person be subject to the governing authorities; for there is no authority except from God, and those authorities that exist have been instituted by God.\u00a02<\/sup>Therefore whoever resists authority resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.\u00a03<\/sup>For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you wish to have no fear of the authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive its approval;\u00a04<\/sup>for it is God\u2019s servant for your good. But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid, for the authority\u00a0does not bear the sword in vain! It is the servant of God to execute wrath on the wrongdoer.\u00a05<\/sup>Therefore one must be subject, not only because of wrath but also because of conscience.\u00a06<\/sup>For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are God\u2019s servants, busy with this very thing.\u00a07<\/sup>Pay to all what is due to them\u2014taxes to whom taxes are due, revenue to whom revenue is due, respect to whom respect is due, honor to whom honor is due. 8\u00a0Owe no one anything, except to love one another; for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law.\u00a09<\/sup>The commandments, \u2018You shall not commit adultery; You shall not murder; You shall not steal; You shall not covet\u2019; and any other commandment, are summed up in this word, \u2018Love your neighbor as yourself.\u2019\u00a010<\/sup>Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.<\/p>\n
\nAt that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, \u2018Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?\u2019\u00a02<\/sup>He called a child, whom he put among them,\u00a03<\/sup>and said, \u2018Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.\u00a04<\/sup>Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.\u00a05<\/sup>Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. 6\u00a0\u2018If any of you put a stumbling-block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.\u00a07<\/sup>Woe to the world because of stumbling-blocks! Occasions for stumbling are bound to come, but woe to the one by whom the stumbling-block comes! 8\u00a0\u2018If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life maimed or lame than to have two hands or two feet and to be thrown into the eternal fire.\u00a09<\/sup>And if your eye causes you to stumble, tear it out and throw it away; it is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and to be thrown into the hell\u00a0of fire. 10\u00a0\u2018Take care that you do not despise one of these little ones; for, I tell you, in heaven their angels continually see the face of my Father in heaven.\u00a012<\/sup>What do you think? If a shepherd has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go in search of the one that went astray?\u00a013<\/sup>And if he finds it, truly I tell you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety-nine that never went astray.\u00a014<\/sup>So it is not the will of your\u00a0Father in heaven that one of these little ones should be lost. 15\u00a0\u2018If another member of the church\u00a0sins against you,\u00a0go and point out the fault when the two of you are alone. If the member listens to you, you have regained that one.\u00a016<\/sup>But if you are not listened to, take one or two others along with you, so that every word may be confirmed by the evidence of two or three witnesses.\u00a017<\/sup>If the member refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if the offender refuses to listen even to the church, let such a one be to you as a Gentile and a tax-collector.\u00a018<\/sup>Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.\u00a019<\/sup>Again, truly I tell you, if two of you agree on earth about anything you ask, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven.\u00a020<\/sup>For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there among them.\u2019<\/p>\n